Shehbaz Sharif hiding behind COVID to escape accountability: Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan

LAHORE: Minister for Information Punjab, Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan on Monday said that the leader of the opposition Shehbaz Sharif is consistently bad-mouthing the federal government and is trying to escape accountability under the garb of coronavirus, ARY News reported.

Chohan said that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) President will not be given any leeway and would be held answerable for all his ill-gotten wealth and corruption scandals.

The minister said that the leader of the opposition in National Assembly must adhere to the summons of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and there was no escaping them.

Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan said that Shehbaz Sharif upon his recent return from London had claimed that he would wage a war against coronavirus and that was the purpose for his return and now he is using the same pathogen as an excuse to escape accountability.

Shehbaz Sharif skipped a proceeding at the Lahore bureau of the accountability watchdog on Friday amid coronavirus outbreak.

The younger Sharif was asked to appear before the NAB in ongoing money laundering probe against him.

He later asked NAB to exempt him from personal appearances in assets beyond means case until coronavirus lockdown is over.

“I am a cancer survivor and aged 69,” he said while seeking the exemption citing his doctors’ recommendation who had advised him against any travelling during the pandemic.

Shehbaz Sharif said that he should be given more time to submit his written replies and appear personally at the bureau.